1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a monitoring camera apparatus and a control method for the monitoring camera apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, network-compatible cameras are spreading into residential areas, shops, banks, train stations and the like for various applications, such as crime prevention and surveillance. On the other hand, to prevent privacy from being infringed such as by the leakage of personal information or confidential information in an imaging area, cameras have been developed that can set a mask area in the imaging area to protect privacy.
Similarly, cameras have been developed that can restrict the control of a camera by narrowing the control range of the camera, limiting the control to a present position, or preventing a general user from performing control at all.
Further, cameras have been developed that have a function for uploading a captured video to a server connected to a network using a plurality of network protocols, such as hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP), file transfer protocol (FTP), and simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP).
Conventionally, for a network camera having a pan/tilt mechanism, cameras that protect privacy by following and masking operations even while the camera is running, and changing and masking shapes during camera control have been known (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-049235).
In addition, conventionally, a system has been known in which a stored video is processed and then retransmitted according to a user's authority (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-242566). Moreover, conventionally, a system has been known which changes and outputs a privacy mask area according to the user (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-046745).
However, in the conventional art, when an administrator sets a restriction on the control range or the imaging range of the camera and processes the video, the imaging area needs to be shown to the administrator in an unrestricted state. Consequently, the restrictions on camera control sometimes have to be lifted while the administrator has access.
For example, in order for the administrator to generate a panoramic image or to set panorama imaging, the administrator uses a video image that is free from a mask restriction that can only be seen by the administrator based on his/her privilege. In this case, a video image having a security issue whose mask restriction has been lifted may be uploaded to the server, where it can be seen by a general user.
This issue is not limited to only mask restriction. During restriction of camera control, such as a restriction on the imaging area or a preset position designation, the similar security issue of a video image having a lifted restriction being uploaded can occur.